


stuck in a daydream

by orphan_account



Category: Keeper of the Lost Cities Series - Shannon Messenger
Genre: Confused Dex, F/M, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-04
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2019-06-21 21:52:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15567099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account





	stuck in a daydream

_Ripped gloves, raincoat_   
_Tried to swim and stay afloat_   
_Dry house, wet clothes_   
_Loose change, bank notes_   
_Weary-eyed, dry throat_

**-A Team, Ed Sheeran**

 

Dex was quieter than normal. Him and Keefe sat side-by-side, in front of Sophie's old house in the Forbidden Cities, watching the sun set slowly over a line of evergreen trees, watching people pass by, completely oblivious to the two teenagers on the porch, silent. They could hear Fitz and Sophie inside, talking, crying, and hugging alternatively. They were nauseatingly adorable, everyone thought so.

They'd been sitting together more often lately, at lunch after their Elite Levels classes, after school ended, at night, at the apothecary, not saying much, just sitting, thinking, until Keefe broke the tension with a joke and suddenly everything was normal again for everyone but Dex. 

"What's going on with you?" Keefe asked, finally, staring over at Dex, who slouched, his head hidden in his messy strawberry-blond hair. "You haven't been very ... Dex-ish lately. I haven't heard you talk about some new super-epic gadget once."  
  
Dex shrugged.   
  
Keefe grabbed his shoulders and shook them slightly. "Come on, Dizznee. Time to go back to that adorably nerdy genius-ling alter ego you once were.  _Shazam. Abracadabra._ "

Dex didn't react. He pulled away, and kept his face blank.

"Dex. Talk to me. Talk to us."  
  
Keefe leaned in, just slightly, opening his mouth (to say what, he didn't know what) until Dex looked up, his periwinkle eyes widening, before he closed the distance between them.

Keefe pulled back, blue eyes wide, an inch reappearing between them. "Wha-" but instead, he just leaned forward, and kissed him, first softly, then not.

That was how Sophie saw them.   
  


[\\]

 

A couple days later, everyone had came over to Havenfield, where they'd spread out sleeping bags in Sophie's room. Dex was on the other side of the room, avoiding Keefe like the plague (he had been since  _the day_ ), and Sophie watched them, carefully, watched Keefe's face fall, saw him pretend nothing happen, saw Dex discreetly watch Keefe then turn around before anyone saw.  
  


Keefe didn't look at Dex. He couldn't. Because he felt stupid and embarrassed and ashamed and confused,  _so_ confused, and tired. Mostly tired. He hadn't slept since. He knew what he was. He just felt like he didn't, anymore.

He got up, and walked out to the hallway, ignoring Biana and Dex and Sophie and Fitz and Tam and Linh. He leaned against the railing, eyes closed, before someone's voice startled him.

"What are you doing out here?"  
  
Dex's voice. He didn't open his eyes. "Standing."

"Why can't you stand outside?"

"Why can't  _you_?"

"Sophie asked me to find you."

"That's great of Foster and all, but ... just tell her I'm fine. I'll be there in a second."

Dex didn't move. Neither did Keefe.

He finally opened his eyes. "What are you so afraid of?"  
  
Dex blinked. "What?"  
  
" _You_ kissed  _me_. But you're avoiding me like I killed your sister."

"If you killed my sister, I would've killed  _you_ ," Dex countered. 

"They all say that."

"But I mean it."  
  
"So what are you so afraid of?"  
  
Dex stared at him of a second. Keefe grabbed his hand. He didn't pull away.

"Just tell them you had to drag me back, if you need an excuse."  
  
"I don't need an  _excuse_ to hold your hand."

 


End file.
